The best of Istanbul in 24 hours

24 hours in Istanbul is way too short and I really regret I did not have more time to explore this vast multicultural city. Tthere are so many things to do in Istanbul.

I arrived late in the evening on a flight from Tehran and just had one day before flying back to Amsterdam. The next morning I woke up early and contemplated how to see everything in just one day. I bought the Museum pass and this was the best thing I could do.

The Best things to do in Istanbul in 24 Hours

1. The blue mosque

There are a lot of mosques in Istanbul and if you have to choose one you should visit the blue mosque. I already visited it in the evening when the surroundings were peaceful and quiet. Even tough the mosque is closed at that time it is nice to walk in the courtyard without the crowds.

It is still a functioning mosque and at prayer times locals come to pray. The next morning I was there early. Despite tourism numbers being down, because of recent terrorist attacks, it was very busy. Once you are inside it is easy to understand why. What an exquisite beauty that can only leave you in awe.

2. Hagia Sophia

My next stop was the Hagia Sophia. This was my biggest priority to see in Istanbul. A church built-in the Byzantine time turned into a mosque and now a museum. It has Istanbul’s history packed into an amazing architectural wonder. When I entered the Hagia Sophia I was overwhelmed by the majesty and beauty of this structure. I just stood there a couple of minutes to let it sink in. Then I walked through and looked at the details. An interesting mix of muslim architecture with christian mosaics and paintings that are still visible

3. Topkapi palace

The palace where the sultans resided for generations was another priority for me to visit. I did not expect to spent so much time here tough. Three nice courtyards with several beautiful buildings with different purposes. Before I knew I spent two hours walking around. The Topkapi palace was also very busy, but I tought it was definitely worth it. If you have the museum pass you should also visit the hammam. If not, you should pay an additional entrance fee for this area.

4. Archeological museum

One advantage of the pass is that several museums are included that I would have otherwise skipped. The archeological museum was one of them. Because it was in the pass and it was close to the Topkapi palace I decided to make a quick visit and I was positively surprised by their interesting collection. This is a must visit for history lovers.

5. Galata bridge & Galata tower

After all the museums, mosques and church turned into mosques I was hungry. I took the tram to the Galata bridge over the Bosphorus to try out the famous balik ekmek (a fish sandwich). Unfortunately I did not have time to enter the Galata tower and instead I ate my sandwich while watching the boats on the Bosphorus river and the fishermen on the bridge. The excellent place to see the sun going down.

6. Grand bazaar

How else could I end my day in Istanbul then with some last-minute shopping in the grand bazaar. After visiting the bazaars in Iran, such as Tehran bazaar, I missed the beautiful ceilings and left over details from the past. The bazaar in Istanbul lacks the authenticity you find in Iran. That said, it is still an excellent place to go shopping for spices, tea and delicious sweet turkish delight.

7. The cats of Istanbul

I love cats and Istanbul is full of lovely street cats. What I really liked most is that the people in Istanbul take really good care of them. People pet them and even leave food for them. It’s always a joy to see happy cats wandering around a city.

8. Turkish food

The food is one of the main reasons I would like to go back to Istanbul. Turkish food is delicious and there are so many local dishes I had to miss out on, because I had no time. I only have one stomach and there is only so much you can eat and try in one day.

Honestly, finding good local food is not easy in Istanbul. Most restaurants cater for tourists and serve the same menu’s of kebab. I havent found a special hidden gem that day, but really enjoyed the balik ekmek (fish sandwich) on the street at the Galata bridge and the turkish delights I tried in the Grand bazaar.

You always need a reason to come back to a city and for me the food will be one of them.

Logistics Istanbul on a budget

Istanbul is a big city and to keep it cheap you should consider buying these cards, even when visiting for a day.

Istanbul card – This card allows you to travel on public transport and get a 40% discount on the fares. There is an extensive network of metro, tram and ferries. You can buy the card at the airport and then travel from the airport to Sultanahmet by metro, already saving you a lot of money. Sultanahmet is where most sites like the Hagia Sophia, Blue mosque and Topkapi palace are and a good place to stay with several hostels and guesthouses. It is easy to explore Sultahnamet on foot, but if you want to explore other parts of the city the card comes in very handy.

Museum card– If you want to visit both the Hagia Sophia and the Topkapi palace it is worth it to buy the Museum card. It is slightly cheaper and allows you to visit several other museums as well. One other advantage is that you only have to stand in line once to buy the card. This will save you a lot of times because the lines at the Hagia Sophia and Topkapi palace are long.

Istanbul accomodation

I stayed in the Stanpoli Hostel in the dormitory. I tought it was a good hostel with an excellent breakfast buffet on the top floor with a wonderful view on the Bosphorus and the city.

Is it safe in Istanbul?

When I arrived late in the evening at my hostel I was greeted by several cats in the window. While I was paying attention to the cats the owner of the hostel came outside to greet me by my name. I was surprised he knew who I was, but it turned out I was the only guest that day. With recent terrorist attacks the tourist numbers have gone down and most tourist establishments are struggling with the decline of income.

The chances of you accidentally being in the wrong place at the wrong time are still very small and therefore I can still recommend Istanbul to anyone. For me, I felt safe in Istanbul, even as a woman travelling alone. Istanbul is a big city and like in any other city you have to be on your guard for pickpockets and tourist scams. These scams are more likely to bring you into trouble than terrorism. Click here for an article on the most common tourism scams in Istanbul.

Ah, this is an awesome list! I usually try to go to places for longer as I like to travel slowly but sometimes when you’re in transit and you have a short amount of time I love these posts that tell you where to go with your precious few hours. The Blue Mosque has intrigued me for ages now and those kitties!! Allergic or not… I will play! :-p

Wow, you really managed to see a lot in just 24 hours! Did you manage to catch the ferry to the Asian side? It was one of my favourite things to do in Istanbul. If you didn’t, hope you’ll be back one day. It really only takes 20 minutes but it’s such a beautiful passage. I was having a missing Istanbul day already, I can say that your post didn’t help getting over that 😀 I love that you included the cats in your highlights because they definitely are one 🙂

I was just in Istanbul for a layover and it was such a great city! I’m so sad I missed the palace but logistically could not make it there! Next time I will definitely make it there! Looks like you had a great day!

Wow you did a lot in 24 hours! Funny I was talking to a friend about going to Istanbul last night, she also said it felt much safer than she thought it would be 🙂
Love the information about cats, that’s really cute and quite unique!
The architecture looks incredible 🙂 thanks for sharing!

Istanbul is such an amazing city! We spent a week there and were still discovering new places everyday. If you ever go back I can recommend visiting the Prince’s Islands by Ferry for a great a day trip. The food is so good too!